Accor Hotels Hotel Loyalty 2011-Q3 promotions

Redeem A|Club rewards at Motel 6 from June 1-October 31

Accor Hotels A|Club hotel loyalty program repeats last year’s limited time offer allowing members to redeem vouchers for hotel stays at Motel 6 in the USA and Canada from June 1 to October 31, 2011.  Studio 6 properties are not eligible for A|Club voucher redemption with this offer.

Motel 6 has over 1,100 hotels in the US and Canada and is the largest hotel brand in the 4,000+ hotels of France-based Accor Hotels chain. The guest loyalty program for Accor Hotels is A|Club, however, Motel 6 is generally not a participating hotel brand in A|Club for earning or redeeming points. For international travelers planning to drive in the US, the prevalence of Motel 6 along major routes like the California Highway 101 coast road makes the Motel 6 brand an easy to find property when traveling rural areas of the US. 

The earning side of A|Club works similarly to most major hotel loyalty programs.  As a points-based program, members in A|Club earn points correlated to hotel spend. Points are earned for spend and bonus points opportunities are available among various brands and properties and regional specific bonuses.

The redemption side of A|Club is different from most major hotel loyalty programs in that 2,000 A|Club points may be redeemed for a fixed-value hotel credit voucher (e-reward) in any of five currencies.

2000 A|Club points may be exchanged for a hotel credit voucher in these amounts:

  • 60 Australia Dollars (60AUD = $63.76USD)
  • 90 Brazil Reals (90BRL = $57.10USD)
  • 30 British Pounds (30GBP = $48.04USD)
  • 40 Euro (40EUR = $57.51USD)
  • 60 USD

As you can see, the value of A|Club points varies with currency differences. A|Club points have about the highest value when used for e-vouchers in US Dollars. The opportunity to redeem e-rewards in the US at Motel 6 properties is a good value redemption opportunity.

A|Club Leverage Opportunity with Currency Exchange?

When I look at the differential between the value of 2,000 A|Club points for a $60USD reward compared to a 30GBP reward worth only $48USD, I wonder if an A|Club member might get more value by redeeming points in a different currency for hotel stays in the UK?

There will certainly be a less than bank rate exchange at hotel check out when converting A|Club vouchers from USD or EUR or AUD into British Pounds, but when $60AUD is worth 39.81GBP, I think even a poor hotel exchange rate will likely work out to a better deal for 2,000 points vouchers worth only 30 GBP British Pounds.

Currency exchange rates are based on xe.com rates for June 29, 2011.

Question for A|Club members.

Has anyone tried using different currency A|Club reward vouchers in the UK?

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Motel 6 Monterey

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8 Comments

  • Oliver June 29, 2011

    I think I have forever moved on from Motel 6. Would probably rather take my chances with a small mom & pop run independent roadside motel if no other slightly nicer chains are available (and yes, in the first 10 of the last 20 years I must have stayed at about 50 different Motel 6 properties). That last night at a rundown Bakersfield Motel 6 was the proverbial straw.

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  • chemist661 June 30, 2011

    I liked Motel 6 alot better before Accor bought out the chain. Even better when they had one price for all Motel 6 properties in years past.

    I can usually bid on PL and get a 3*-4* hotel for about the same money & especially with 2 people staying.

    The last time I stayed in a Motel 6 was back in 2006. I was driving a Penske rental truck from Los Angeles to San Antonio and stayed at a Motel 6 in Arizona. The property was not expensive and good enough for an overnight stay.

  • pretty July 1, 2011

    Motel 6, Greyhound et al are set up to exploit their poor, uneducated minority customer base. This is typical of the reward programs for companies that are geared towards that market. The disturbing trend is how that market is actually expanding, and with the lack of attention and or regulation of these kinds of exploits they seem to be getting worst. I see it often amongst these populations and conducted by large multi-national corporations.

  • Ric Garrido July 1, 2011

    @pretty – that is quite a generalization of the corporate world. I don’t see the rationale for your statements.

    Motel 6 doesn’t actually have a rewards program. The opportunity to use A|Club vouchers for Motel 6 stays is primarily a benefit for international travelers coming to the US and driving a car. The $60 vouchers can be used as payment for Motel 6 stays and there are very few other hotels in the U.S. for using A|Club vouchers.

    Since A|Club points are basically a cash rebate on a hotel stay, then an A|Club member can have $300USD in vouchers and pay for one free night at the Chicago or D.C. Sofitel or perhaps pay for five nights at Motel 6 while driving around the U.S.

    How does Greyhound exploit the poor?

    If you don’t have a car, and can’t afford a train or plane, then it is Greyhound bus travel. A rewards program is a benefit for these travelers. Exploitation only results if bus fares are higher due to having a loyalty program.

    I don’t know if that is the case. Do you?

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